Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - God Pause - Lutheran Seminary - Moved by the Promise for Friday, 21 March 2014 - Scripture: John 4:27-42

Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - God Pause - Lutheran Seminary - Moved by the Promise for Friday, 21 March 2014 - Scripture: John 4:27 At this, his disciples came. They marveled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no one said, “What are you looking for?” or, “Why do you speak with her?” 28 So the woman left her water pot, and went away into the city, and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything that I did. Can this be the Christ?”
30 They went out of the city, and were coming to him. 31 In the meanwhile, the disciples urged him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.”
33 The disciples therefore said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?”
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. 35 Don’t you say, ‘There are yet four months until the harvest?’ Behold, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and look at the fields, that they are white for harvest already. 36 He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit to eternal life; that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true, ‘One sows, and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you haven’t labored. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
39 From that city many of the Samaritans believed in him because of the word of the woman, who testified, “He told me everything that I did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they begged him to stay with them. He stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of your speaking; for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”--World English Bible
In the Gospel of John, three different women make significant confessions about Jesus. In the garden of the resurrection (John 20), Mary Magdalene recognizes the risen Jesus. She runs to tell the disciples the good news. Just before Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead in John 11, the dead man's sister, Martha, confesses that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. And in today's text, the Samaritan woman, who gives Jesus a drink of water, runs to tell others what he had said and done. In her excitement, she poses the question, "He cannot be the Messiah, can he?"
You bet he can! Others went to hear Jesus because the Samaritan woman challenged them to "Come and see." That invitation is at the heart of evangelism. We ask others to come and see because, at the invitation of someone, we once went and saw. What we saw—and still see—is the one who gives the water of life. He cannot be the Messiah, can he? What do you think?
Giver of the water of life, we ask you to fill us so that we will never be thirsty again. Help us to spread the good news by asking others to come, see and drink. Amen.
Robert Brusic
Seminary Pastor Emeritus 
John 4:27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you want?" or, "Why are you speaking with her?"
28 Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people,
29 "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?"
30 They left the city and were on their way to him.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, "Rabbi, eat something."
32 But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about."
33 So the disciples said to one another, "Surely no one has brought him something to eat?"
34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work.
35 Do you not say, "Four months more, then comes the harvest'? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting.
36 The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.
37 For here the saying holds true, "One sows and another reaps.'
38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."
39 Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I have ever done."
40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days.
41 And many more believed because of his word.
42 They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world."--New Revised Standard Version
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